Fallen Hero (A New Adventure Begins - Star Elite 3)

She didn’t want to feel anything for anybody right now. She didn’t want to love, especially a man who danced with danger every day of his life. The last thing she wanted to do was love. She had loved her brother and look what he had done to her. She knew that while she loved Thomas, it was nothing like the deep and abiding love she felt for Aaron. That was different. That was considerably more connected to an inner part of her that she suspected was her.

It is. It is my heart, Elspeth thought sadly. Aaron is my heart.

Blinking tears out of her eyes, she made her way to the garden gate again only for it to be yanked open.

“Elspeth!” Aaron called when she turned around and hurried away. He eyed Voss critically but stepped over the man when he didn’t move. “Elspeth!”

But Elspeth didn’t stop. She waved an airy hand to make it clear she had nothing else to say and walked into the garden, away from the source of her pain, fears and fury. She was angry that Aaron didn’t seem to understand how much he mattered to her.

Of course, he won’t because I have never told him I love him.

Elspeth couldn’t tell him, no matter how much she tried. While he had been tender and gentle with her she had no idea if he was duty-bound to do what her brother asked of him. He had yet to tell her how he felt, and that had to come first before she made an utter fool of herself. Or did something reckless and ridiculous with her own future, like fall head over heels in love with him.

It is too late. I already have.

“What happened?” Niall demanded when she slammed into the house.

“Go and help Aaron, please. He has Voss on the path out

side.” Elspeth explained what had happened. “He needs your help.”

With that, she made her way up to her bed chamber. Once there, Elspeth lay on the bed and caved in to the misery that surrounded her. This time, it had nothing to do with grief, or the loss of a loved one. It was because she felt, for the first time in her life, that she had what she wanted right before her, only circumstance was going to take it – Aaron - away again, and there wasn’t a damned thing she could about it.

“I can’t lose him,” she whispered, not to his work with the Star Elite, or the criminals he fought daily.

Elspeth was deeply shaken by the morning’s events, so much so she didn’t think she would ever be able to sleep soundly in her bed at night again. He, however, had barely even blinked. Aaron had taken it all in his stride, as though it was an ordinary part of life. Their different attitudes toward life seemed to erect a very unrelenting barrier between them, one which she wasn’t sure she could ever find a way through.

Aaron quietly let himself into her bed chamber several moments later. It hurt him to hear her misery when he found her crying, and know it was because of his work. Not for the first time in the last several weeks, he started to doubt whether he should continue to work with the War Office. It didn’t seem fair that she should ever go through the circumstance where she learned of a loved one’s death through a note for a second time in her life. While he could be certain he could take steps to make sure she wouldn’t ever be destitute, his death wouldn’t give him the time, the family, or the life he wanted with her.

“I am sorry, Elspeth,” he whispered. With a sigh, he sat down carefully on the edge of the bed.

Upon hearing his voice, and without even thinking about what she was doing, Elspeth flung herself into his arms and began to kiss him.

“Elspeth,” Aaron growled in warning.

But Elspeth was far beyond listening. She wanted this one special moment with him, and nothing and nobody was going to deny her. With a determination that came from her very soul, she grabbed his shirt with shaking hands and lowered herself back down onto the bed.

This time, Aaron followed her down without a murmur of complaint.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Many hours later, Aaron was dragged out of a blissful slumber by persistent knocking. He blinked sleepily but immediately sighed with supreme contentment when he realised where he was, and what he had spent the last couple of hours sharing with Elspeth. He was warm, wonderfully relaxed, and had the love of his life in his arms. Life didn’t get any better.

Before answering the summons, he took a moment to savour his situation. Eventually, when he couldn’t stand the pounding a moment longer, he eased out of bed but not before he pressed a loving kiss to Elspeth’s lips. She huffed a contented sigh, snuggled further down under the covers. Aaron grinned and tugged the covers up to her chin before he slowly eased out of bed and dragged some clothes on.

Quietly, he opened the door and waved a frowning Oliver away from the door. Stepping out into the hallway, he sighed in disgust when he noticed Oliver was fully dressed, heavily armed, and ready to go out.

“What’s happened?” he asked, aware that Niall and Jasper had earlier taken Voss to the gaol to face charges for attempted abduction, and assault upon himself. He wondered, albeit briefly, if Voss had escaped.

“Horvat’s been found,” Oliver said. “He is in the damned village.”

Aaron’s brows shot skyward. “Cromley? Here?”

“Wouldn’t that be a laugh and a half, and the deepest embarrassment of the Star Elite, if the damned man was living in the same village as us and we hadn’t even noticed,” Oliver was annoyed, but that was what had happened.

“How could we miss him?” Aaron demanded.

“Because we have been looking for Voss and Frederick, haven’t we? We haven’t been looking for Horvat right under our bloody noses,” Oliver snapped.